How Do I Get an Apostille in Illinois?

In order to get an apostille in Illinois, you will need to get in touch with the Illinois Secretary of State and follow their exact process. Otherwise you risk your apostille not being filled out correctly and rejected by the foreign country you are sending it to.

Here are the guidelines for submitting an apostille in Illinois:

Documents must be issued in the state of Illinois and signed and certified by a local/state registrar, notary public or circuit or county clerk.
For vital records you need first a copy certified by the county clerk or issued by the
local registrar at the Illinois Department of Public Health. For marriage license you only need a certified copy from the county clerk.
In order to be acceptable for apostille, divorce certificates need to be certified by the clerk of the Circuit Court.
Academic records and documents must be officially issued by the school registrar’s office, signed by a school official and properly notarized, with notary signature, affixed rubber stamp and an acknowledgment statement.
Corporate business documents such as registration of trademarks, merger certificates, and business organization documents in file at the Illinois SOS need to be notarized in order to be submitted for apostille.
You can also submit for apostille private documents such as adoption dossiers, deeds and other documents, if they are notarized as accurate copies of the original documents.

Making sure your Illinois apostille is legitimate

One of the main requirements is that the apostille must be notarized and obtained by the Secretary of State. Apostilles are generally needed whenever you need to send certified documents to another foreign country.

An apostille is a sensitive document that must comply with 961 Hague Convention Treaty in order to be accepted. In order to be properly accepted, the apostille must be:

Notarized by a commissioned notary in your state
All seals and signatures must be originals
If your documents are in a foreign language, they must be translated into English by a certified translator and notarized as a true translation

Failure to do so properly will invalidate your apostille and be rejected by the receiving country you are sending it to. We can’t emphasize this enough! Many try to get an apostille on their own without the help of a notary public and only end up in frustration and time wasted.

Steps to get an apostille in Illinois

To get an apostille in Illinois the right way, follow these steps:

First, make sure you have the correct document that needs to be apostilled. Then, contact the Illinois Secretary of State’s office and inquire about their apostille services. They will provide you with the necessary forms and instructions.

Fill out the forms accurately and include any required supporting documents. Finally, submit your application along with the appropriate fees and wait for the Illinois Secretary of State’s office to process your request. Remember, getting an apostille done correctly is crucial for it to be recognized and valid in the receiving country.

Easiest way to get an apostille is to use a notary public

As certified mobile notary publics in Illinois, we provide this service constantly. Many try to obtain an apostille on their own for the first time and end up wasting time and money. We obtain, deliver or mail out Illinois apostilles all the time so we know the process very well.

We have sent apostilles for Mexico, China, Canada, Philippines and many more. You can find the full list of the HCCH countries here.

Aer you currently in a different state than Illinois? No problem! We can still help. Just reach out and let us know what the apostille is for and which country you need to send it to.

Save yourself time and headache of dealing with the Secretary of State and request yours with us! We can get your apostille in a quick, timely manner ready for you to send abroad. Give us a call at (847) 741-8262 or order one below.